Improvement in fire-escapes



3 Sheets-Sheet 1. J. O. MOORE. Fire-Escape.

Patented March 5, 1878. 5 I

INVENTOR ATTORN EY 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. O. MOORE. Fire-Escape.

No. 200,870. Patente March 5,1878.

VY'iTN SSES I V INVENTOR an W 0 .Mo

ATTORNEYS 8 Sheets-8heet 8.

JQO. MOORE. Fire-Escape.

Patented March 5, 1878.

INVENTOR %&:-PM- Q'bw WITNESSES ofnJ I I V ATTORN EYS PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN C. MOO-RE, OF LOWELL, MICHIGAN.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 200,870, dated March 5, I878 application filed 1talf whom it hmy concern: Be it known that I, JOHN G. MOORE, of Lowell, in the county of Kent and State of" Michigan, have invented certain newv and useful Improvements in Fire-Escapes and I do'hereby declare the following to-beaful-l, clear, and

exact descriptionof the invention, such aswill enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains: to' makeand use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, 1 which. form part of this specification;

My invention relates to an improvement in portable fire-escapes the object. being to provide a' fire-escape of such construction that it shall be of compact form, and adapted to be packed into'sma-ll compass for stowage in a trunk or valis'e, and thus render the apparatusespecially desirable for the use of travel- GI'S'.

one side of the drum.. Fig. 5 shows the rear side of the drum, having a coil of metallic ribbon' wound thereon. Fig. 6' shows a side elevation of a handregulati'n-g clam-p. Figs. 7 and 8 are modification-s.

A represents the belt-case-, which is com.- posed of the belt-plate B and cap or cover B". The belt-plate-B is secured to the waist-belt Gin an adjustable manner by means of the cross-bar D, attached to the back of the plate by means of screws a, or in any other'conveni'ent manner.

Itis evident that one end of the cross-bar D may be hinged to the plate B, while the free end may be firmly clamped thereto by screws a, clamp, or set-screw. One side of cross-bar D is provided with teetlr b, which project in the direction of the plate 13-; and, if desired, the opposite sideof the bar'may likewise be provided with similarly-shaped teeth.

After the belt has been adjusted: tothe de- July 17, 1877.

sired length, cross-bar D is placed upon the belt and firmly secured to the back of the beltplate, and as the teeth b are forced through the belt the latter is securely retained against displacement. Rings or flat metallic eyepieces 0c are attached to the upper and lower edges of the belt-plate,.to allow of the attachment of the upper and lower supporting-straps l5 F, which are furnished with snap-hooks d e, whereby the attachment of the several parts can be effected in the shortest passible tlme. To the free end of the waist-belt is secured an oblong metallic loop, having a stud, f, riveted thereto. Stud f isv formed with a T-shaped head, thereby affording three projections, f f, and f and as the same is made to engage with the T-shaped slot or opening Gr in the belt-plate, the ends of the belt are securely locked together. The cover B is fastened to the belt-plate by means of screws g, passing through perforated clips 9 the latter being attached to the cap or cover.

Within the cap B." is placed a windingdrum, H, which consists of the arbor h, upon which is wound the metallic ribbon 1. Against the face of arbor h, adjacent to cap B, is rigidly secured a disk, 1?, which serves, in connection with the belt-plate, to cause the several successive coils of the metallic ribbon to be evenly wound upon the arbor.

To. the face of disk i, adjacent to plate B, is secured a pin, a, which enters a slot, '6 formed in the periphery of arbor h, the slot being sufficiently larger than the pin to constitute sufficient space to allow of the attachment of the loop '5' on the inner end of the metallic ribbon. This latter construction obviates any sharp bends in the ribbon, and insures a perfect circle, upon which the ribbon may be coiled.

One journal, j, of the drum fits into the bearing j in the belt-plate, while the other journal or shaft, 3", is supported in the center of the cap or cover. The extreme end of shaft j is squared, as at 3' to allow of the attachment of a winding-key, J.

A raised bushing, J, is secured to the outer surface of the cover to protect the winding end of the drum-shaft.

K represents a brake-wheel, and may be cast solid with the Winding-drum, or be made separate and secured to the outer surface of disk 1;, in any suitable manner. This brakewheel is provided with an outer flange, k, to prevent the disengagement of the frictionclutch L, which surrounds the same.

M is a regulating-screw, the hand-piece m of which extends outside the cap or cover, and is protected from injury by means of the shield m. The inner and threaded end of regulating-screw M engages with the ends a n of friction clutch L, the end at of said clutch being held in a fixed position by means of a stud or pin, M, which latter enters an opening, a, in the cap or cover, and hence, as the regulating-screw is turned in one direction, it operates to force the movable end of the friction-clutch toward the fixed end, and draw the body of the clutch firmly in contact with the brake-wheel; and hence it is evident that any desired amount of resistance maybe applied to the drum, on which the metallic ribbon is coiled, by means of the regulatingscrew M.

Instead of constructing the brake-wheel and friction-c1utch with flat engaging-faces, their surfaces may be'increased by forming the same V-shaped, as represented at Z in Fig. 8, and thus correspondingly increasing the frictional contact without increasing the thickness or weight of the parts.

In order that the winding-key may be attached to the belt-case, and hence be at hand when needed for use, the stem of the key is inserted in an opening formed in one end of the cap, and the cross-piece secured by means of a wire, I, or spring-clamp attached to said cap.

In the upper edge of the cap are jonrnaled two anti-friction rollers, o 0, between which passes the metallic ribbon I. These rollers serve to prevent the undue binding or wearing of the ribbon against the cap, and cause the ribbon to readily pay out from the case at any angle at which the latter may be placed.

0 is a hand-clamping device, and is constructed with two jaws, p p, hinged to each other at P. Each jaw is constructed with a suitable handle,Q, the lower ends of which are outwardly flared to afford a firm hold for the hand. Handles Q are kept apart by means of a flat ring of spring metal, which is riveted or otherwise secured to the inner surfaces of the handles. The spring is not in line with the metallic ribbon, and hence the latter may be moved freely without coming in contact with the same, unless the handles are forced slightly out of a vertical position, when the spring then serves as a guide to keep the hand-clamping device in position for use.

When the handles are left free, and are in their normal position, the ribbon I passes through the clampingjaws with little or no resistance; but when power is applied to said handles, and they are forced toward each other as by a firm grasp of the hand, the frictional contact between the jaws and ribbon may be easily regulated, as desired.

from the back of the waist-belt down between the legs, and the snap-hook is attached to the ring attached to the lower side of the beltcase. This lower supporting-strap prevents the waist-belt from slipping on the body, as in such case the operator would be unable to regulate the device, and serious injuries might, and doubtless would, result should no provision be made for securing the waist-belt in position.

The upper supporting-belt passes over the shoulders, the free end of the belt being attached to a ring secured to the upper side of the belt-case. This belt is provided with a ring, S, through which passes the metallic ribbon I, and hence serves to hold the body in an upright position.

Now, while it is evident that a metallic ribbon is specially adapted for the purposes in view, on account of its flexibility, strength, and adaptability to be coiled in small compass, yet one serious objection to the use of a thin ribbon of metal arises from the fact that it cannot be grasped by the hand without seriously injuring the party descending by aid of the same; and hence, in ordinary fire-escapes, a metallic ribbon is not Well adapted for use.

From the foregoing description, it will be observed that by the aid of my improved fireescape there is no necessity of touching the ribbon. After the hook R has been attached to some fixed object in the room,the person provided with my improved device launches himself outside the building, and commences his descent, during which time one hand is engaged in adjusting the regulating-screw that governs the friction-clutch, while the other hand grasps the hand-clamp and serves to steady the body; and, also, should the frictionclutch become disengaged or inoperative from any cause, the rapidity of descent may then be easilyregulatedby the varying of the pressure on the hand-clamp.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Let-' ters Patent, is-

1. The casing of a fire-escape constructed with a belt-plate that is adapted to be adjustably secured to a waist-belt, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the waist-belt, of the belt-plate of the casing, and a removable cross-bar provided with teeth that engage with the belt, substantially as set forth.

3. A portable fire-escape consisting, essentially, of a metallic ribbon, one end of which i is coiled upon'a winding-drum, the casing of which is secured to a waist-belt, and a handclamp engaging with the metallic ribbon above the winding drum, and disconnected from either the belt or winding-drum, whereby said clamp may be adjusted independently of the Winding-drum, substantially as described.

4. The casing of a fire-escape constructed with a belt-plate provided with rings on its upper and lower edges, which serve for the at-.

tachment of the supporting-straps, substantially as set forthp 5. The combination, with the supportingstraps, each provided with snap-hooks, of the belt-plate of the casing, having rings secured to its upper and lower edges, substantially as set forth. y

6. Thecap formed with a shieldto protect the end. of the regulatingscrew, substantially as set forth.

7. Thecombinatiomwiththe metallic ribbon JOHN G. MOORE.

- July, 1877.

Witnesses JAMES H. WEEKS, ORSON H. LooK. 

